Garibashvili to Attend the World Economic Forum and UN General Assembly

Georgia’s Prime Minister is scheduled to pay an important visit to China and the United States.

On 8th-13th September, Irakli Garibashvili will participate in the World Economic Forum in the northeastern port city of Dalian, China. The PM is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Premier Li Keqiangand and important business representatives in Dalian and Beijing.

After the visit, the Georgian PM will travel to the United States where he will attend and deliver a speech at the 70th session of the United Nation General Assembly.

Last year the issue of who would lead the Georgian delegation to the UN, President Margvelashvili or Prime Minister Garibashvili, triggered internal political debates. The subject has become a matter of political accusations again this year.

Maia Panjikidze, former Foreign Minister of Georgia, currently one of the leaders of the Free Democrats Party, who in 2014 tried to convince President Margvelashvili that “it would not be suitable for Georgia to be represented by two delegations (one led by the PM and another by the President) at the UN”, now says:

“We had a very bad practice of public discussions about who would go to the United Nations. I had hoped we would learn something from last year’s experience”... I cannot imagine the PM to be the head of a delegation and the President to be a member of the same delegation or vice versa. I don’t think this has ever happened in the history of the UN.”

In response to the former Foreign Minister, the President’s adviser for Foreign Affairs Tengiz Pkhaladze said: “Remarks from a person who was personally engaged in last year’s mistake is unacceptable.”

He further added that it was not the only precedent of fighting against the presidential institution and a deliberate campaign has been going on since the inauguration of Giorgi Margvelashvili. “It was reflected in the disrupted visits, non-delivery of invitations and correspondence, and in many other things” – Pkhaladze claimed.

Davit Kereselidze, current Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry said any decision, which will be made at the highest level, will be fulfilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

At this stage the MFAis informed that the PM will take part in the general debates, while the President has a personal invitation from the Latvian President to attend the President of Lithuania’s discussion “Future of Europe: Empowering the Role of Women”.